The holidays are here. Thanksgiving was great. Christmas and New years is right around the corner. Everyone is getting ready to deal with the inlaws, eat way too much food, and watch a football game.

The question that’s been on everyone’s mind for awhile now, has been; ” Is it safe to travel? “. The conclusion that I came to was” Yes, it is”.

We are all scared right now because of Muslim extremist groups. Rightly so but, have our fears taken too much control over our lives? How bad is it affecting your holidays? I hear people talking about canceling their flights because of the attacks in Paris last week. This was the single deadliest terrorist attack in French history, that is true.

Up until now though France has been a safer country to live in than the US. In the 21 st century there have been under 50 deaths due to terrorist bombings or shootings in all of France. Excluding Both World Wars all of France has suffered under 160 deaths due to terrorist attacks in the 20th century. That’s not bad, because we are talking about 100 years.

A terrorist attack is;

The FBI uses this definition: “Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”

It is no more dangerous now than it was in the 60’s. The difference is now we have a face to put with the danger. Radical Muslims!! When your enemy now has a face, he looks a lot more terrifying than before. A paranoia has set in on our country. The truth is, the world can be a dangerous place, with or without ISIS. Wherever you are or wherever you go, you will be at risk for something bad to happen.

Here are some statistics on Terror attacks in the US since 1970. These facts are from Wikipedia.

In the 70’s there were 16 attacks.

In the 80’s there were 3 attacks .

In the 90’s there were7 attacks .

In the 2000’s there were 31 attacks.

In the 2010’s there have been 15 attacks.

These #’s are misleading though. When we think of a terrorist attack we always think of something big, where the damage and casualties are staggering. That is not the case though. Look at the definition of terrorism above again. It says” the unlawful use of force to coerce in furtherance of political or social objectives.” It doesn’t say how big or how many are involved in the attack. The thing you should look for when reading about a terrorist attack is,,,, was it a mass murder or a single act of violence by one man in the name of his faith?

For instance here are some examples on Wikipedia’s list of terrorist attacks;

9/11 USA, New York, NY
Islamic hijackers steer two planes packed with fuel and passengers into the World Trade Center, killing hundreds on impact and eventually killing thousands when the towers collapsed. At least 200 are seriously injured.

3/19/2002 USA, Tucson, AZ
A 60-year-old man is gunned down by Muslim snipers on a golf course.

5/27/2002 USA, Denton, TX
Muslim snipers kill a man as he works in his yard.

7/4/2002 USA, Los Angeles, CA
Muslim man pulls out a gun at the counter of an Israeli airline and kills two people.

So you see terrorist attacks are defined the same but should not be categorized the same. On the whole list I saw only about 4 that can be defined as a mass murder. The others all were random acts of violence, basically “Hate Crimes”

Mass Murder defined;

Mass murder (sometimes interchangeable with “mass destruction”) is the act of murdering several or more people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time. The FBI defines mass murder as murdering three or more persons during an event with no “cooling-off period” between the murders.

Mass Shooting defined;

Mass shooting refers to an incident involving multiple victims of gun violence. Mass shootings can be a form of mass murder, which is commonly categorized as the murder of four or more people with no cooling off period.

The US statistics on the other hand are quite shocking. According to Wikipedia, there have been over 100 mass murders in the country since the 70’s. Interestingly enough it started with the Manson Family murderers in 1969. These are not religion related.

I hope I didn’t freak you out with all these facts. My point to all this is that we don’t have to feel like prisoners because of the threat of a terrorist attack.

We haven’t had a plane hijacked since 9-11. There have only been six planes ever hijacked in the US. So don’t be afraid to fly.

There have only been 4 railway attacks in the world since 2010. So don’t be afraid to take the train.

Your as safe now as you’ve ever been. I’ve got a better chance of getting hit by a bus than kicking the bucket in a terrorist attack.

Have a great Holiday season. Feel free to travel our country as you please.

This article was in no way meant disrespectful for those who have died or been affected in anyway from a terror attack. Nor am I in agreement with any terror group, middle eastern or not.

Best Wishes,

My name is Will Garrett. I am a Travel Agent in California. I love what I do and I’m always looking for more people to help. Whether that is to plan your ideal family vacation to the Caribbean for ten days, or a romantic couples retreat to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

I will also help you become a travel agent, so you can build a rewarding business for you and your family as well. I can help you discover your new Career. Being a travel agent is being a problem solver, a researcher,and a professional planner.

You get to study the beautiful and exotic place’s in our world. Find out everything you can about what they have to offer, then you get to help make someones dreams come true by planning out all the details and making all the arrangements.

It is with some apprehension that I commence this article for I will surely get a right bollocking over my role in the events that follow but, I say, ‘publish and be damned’. If this story can save one life it will be worth any embarrassment to myself and will have served its purpose.

So, what happened on that fateful January day? Coffee at our favourite café (thank you Diva) and then the agonising decision how to fill in the rest of the day. Hadn’t been sailing over Christmas as none of us wanted to lose our precious anchoring spots this time of year. ‘Gone in 60 seconds’, as they say, however most of the real workers had gone home or elsewhere and just the old hardies and retirees were left, me included.

I suggested to my new neighbour Big John, we go for a sail and strangely, he said “yes, haven’t been for a while”. Great day, nice wind, not much swell outside, boat newly anti-fouled and clean as; let’s do it. A bit too casual, cock-a-hoop maybe, didn’t really think about preparation too much, we’d just go outside the seaway for 30 minutes and come straight back, simple. Didn’t need much of a briefing, he was a man of the sea with his own boat and (although not a sail boat) he had handled a sheet or two before. So the briefest of briefings; where the lifejackets were and the operation of the engine thrust lever.

Why bother with anything more, let’s go, I’m excited, breeze is up and pointing the right enough way so up with the main and out into the channel and pull on the furled genoa. There really are fewer pleasures for a sailor when you feel the power of the wind start to propel you through the water and in particular, a trimaran which while in her late 30’s, is as spritely as when she was first wet.

As a nod to correct protocol I called the Seaway Tower and after changing frequency supplied all relevant details. Out we went into the big blue with a sea state a bit steeper than I had factored on but nothing of concern today, just pure fun to be out under Queensland sun, the cool ocean breeze soothing my Christmas tortured soul. Then he said it! “You know if you fall off this I can’t sail it”? “Yes”, I said thinking how impertinent. Now normally, regardless of regulation to the contrary, I always have a self-inflating life jacket on and insist that all else on board wear one as well. It is a requirement in NSW seaways which I think QLD should also adopt. Wearing one through the Seaway you tend to leave them on as a matter of course. Today, I didn’t. Why? I can’t tell you!… Am I telegraphing this already?

So, there we were slipping along at 8 knots or so and before long about 2 nautical miles off. “We’re going to lose that” John said, indicating the fender rolling around on the port trampoline, with some water coming through the Pirelli mesh, due to the sea state. After a small cognitive groan I stepped out on said trampoline to retrieve it and safely deposited the offending item in the cockpit.

Now here’s where it gets a little bit hazy but I remember that a bit of bucking, pitching and lurching went on under my feet which sat me unceremoniously on my bum. John was on the helm and said he heard quite a thud as I probably hit the rear crossbeam. All I remember after that was rolling quite gracefully backwards then being surrounded by salt water.

Hmm… while thinking to myself instantly that this is ‘not a good look’, I was confident that things would be OK. John would work it all out, get the boat turned around and come back to pick me up… Really?

Shortly after that, I had come to another conclusion, that it was a trimaran, doing at least 8 knots in a 2.5 metre sea with some waves white-capping, John was on his own, trying to stop the boat, get the engine started (did I show him that drill? NO) and as far as keeping an eye on yours truly, fat chance!

That is a big ask of any sailor and I wondered even if I myself would have been up to it knowing the boat as well as I do and I wasn’t happy with my response. I could see the boat had stopped and I could see my sail as it was way above the sea but I knew that John could not see me. I immediately removed my yellow shorts and began to wave them above my head as I tread water. Who was I kidding?

Surviving on the surface as possible shark bait…

Then it came to me that this could be a long haul and with no life jacket I should start conserving energy right now. I knew Big John would be superb on the radio after many years with our friends in the constabulary and obtaining a quite lofty rank, and he was. He made the appropriate calls to Seaway Tower and got a search and rescue underway. Somehow he traced the line to the furler and managed to get the genoa in; half the battle. He also managed to fire up the Lombardini diesel and, with the main still up, joined the search. At the 17 minute mark, he was joined by the Police in their 2 power cats; MV A L Greaves and MV D A Shean. VMR also attended and the search for yours truly was commenced.

Me, I was treating this a bit like a really hard day at the office and I knew that these good people would do a fantastic job, doing what they do, and it was my job for the day to still be on the surface when they found me. Was I kidding myself? It didn’t matter, I needed all the optimism I could muster. I NEEDED to be very pragmatic if I was going to make it and I forced myself to remain calm. I called in all my training as a pilot and remembered the adage dealing with crisis, ‘force yourself not to panic’. Easier said than done, but doable. I was also going to need all those meditation skills I had been taught and indeed had taught myself for some years as a counsellor.

Oh, and guilt; I had a very clear thought of, ‘if at all possible’? I would have to return in some way (spirit medium sprang to mind) to apologise to John for leaving him with such a hideous predicament, anticipating what he must have been now going through.

Did I think about sharks? Is the Pope a catholic? I did indeed very early in the piece take a look underneath me down into the black depths and decided that if I didn’t put that right out of my head it would do me in quicker than treading water! I had vaguely heard around the traps that the Mullet and Jewfish were running up the coast accompanied of course by many hungry B

Switzerland otherwise called the ‘roof of the world’ is a land-locked country in central Europe. Bordering five countries: Austria, Germany, France, Italy and Lichtenstein, it is a true paradise. Known for its lakes, towns, fields, mountains, villages, cities, culture there is almost everything a tourist wants to find.

Top 5 Cities to Visit

Zurich
Largest city & financial center of Switzerland.
Cafés, traditional shops, famous art galleries & museums are in abundance.
You can take a strolling walk to enjoy Lake Zurich.
Train ride is available to Uetliberg Mountains that gives a panoramic view of the city & country side.

Geneva
Lies on western shore of Lake Geneva.
Snow-capped mountains cover the city (awesome view).
Walk; rent a bike or public transport, all at your convenience.
Top locations include farmed water fountain, Reformation Wall, Place Bourg du Four, St. Peter’s Cathedral & the birthplace of UN.

Lausanne
International Olympic Committee’s residence
A scenic city and inspirational destination for sports fans.
Do not miss the Olympic Museum & Lausanne cathedral.
It’s just 40 minutes from Geneva.

Bern
A medieval iconic city & official Switzerland capital.
Most famous for Zytglogge, an antique clock tower.
The old-world charm makes it a UNESCO world heritage site.
Has the longest shopping boardwalk in Europe.
Attractions: bear park, rose garden, fine arts museum, national history museum, Federal Palace, Cathedral of Bern, and Town Hall.

Basel
Located near River Rhine.
Industrial & pharmaceutical hub.
Highest number of museums, a culture-centric city.
Attractions: Zoo, toy museum, paper mill museum, Basel minster, Art museum, Rathaus & Marktplatz etc.
There are plenty of other locations that offer scenic beauty, adventure & fun in Switzerland. They are small yet lovely all year round. Some of them are –
Lucerne – a dense city in central Switzerland, you can visit Mt. Pilatus, lake Lucerne, Chapel Bridge, Mt. Rigi, transport museum etc.
Interlaken – popular as a tourist resort, it possesses three mountains- Eiger, Jungfrau & Monch. Camping activities are available at the nearest Bernese Oberland Alps.
Zermatt – the small town is famous for skiing & mountaineering due to Matterhorn Mountains. Walking is a favorite here as gasoline driven vehicles are not permitted.
Montreaux – located at the heart of Swiss Riviera, the town has an 11th-century castle “Chillon”, which has courtyards, tower, frescoes, dungeons, house weaponry, & furniture.
St. Moritz – an expensive & rich people’s hub, the city is a winter resort offering summer & winter sports.
Rhine Falls – the largest waterfall in Europe where you can see, feel & hear the pounding waters, visit castles & see the Rhine Falls basin.

Following mountain gorillas in the Virungas is really a rare experience. There are just a few hundred of these captivating animals left in the wild, with only three spots where you can encounter them in their common natural surroundings and a limited number of permits available every day. So while staring into the eyes of the Rwanda Silverback gorilla safaris you know you are one of a select group of individuals worldwide privileged enough to have delighted this brilliant experience.

To make the most out of your experience, we’ve assembled a few tips and guidelines:

Where to track gorillas

There are three locations you can ask the mountain gorilla safari: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda; Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda and Parc National des Virunga in the Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC). Uganda and Rwanda are the normal first decisions, because of a past filled with political precariousness in DRC; however this could change later on.

Fitness and wellbeing

The Rwanda primates Tours and Safaris to reach the gorillas happens at a height on steep mountain slopes dense with vegetation, so you generally should be sensibly fit to bask the experience. There are porters available to hire at the beginning of your trek – they can make the trekking simpler by carrying your bag and offering you some assistance with up and down the steepest landscape. The cost of a porter is excluded in the expense of your permit or tour – the regular “tip” is around $20 per porter. Having a relative working as a porter is a vital source of income for many living near the National Park.

And being reasonably fit, you have to ensure you are also healthy at the season of following. Those suffering from infectious ailments won’t be permitted to trek. Gorillas are highly vulnerable to infection, so if you are experiencing a cold, flu or looseness of the bowels you should report it to the guide at the park headquarters. If you do, it is more possible you will be refunded the cost of your permit. Non-disclosure will mean you will be barred from tracking and the cost of the permit won’t be refunded.

The tracking experience

The gorillas cover extensive separations overnight. The guides will utilize their insight into the gorillas’ propensities and data from the earlier day to find the gathering’s whereabouts. So the time taken during the Rwanda silverback gorilla tours can vary considerably. It might be as two hours to as long as 9 hours before returning to camp.

When you have reached the group, you will be permitted up to one hour in the association of these beautiful beasts. The porter will stay some distance behind with your day packs and only the permit holders are permitted to join the gorilla group.

Aside from being the sister island of Skopelos, Skiathos is also considered the smallest inhabited island in the Sporades archipelago. But don’t let its size deceive you. Skiathos has managed to become an unspoiled, breathtaking, premier holiday destination for the island nation of Greece.

Despite being gifted with fantastic natural attributes like dramatic landscape and beautiful beaches; Skiathos also somehow possesses a cosmopolitan side. It boasts a bustling nightlife. The central hub for entertainment on the island has got to be the pedestrian street by the Old Harbor. Here, you will find a slew of bars and clubs that host youngsters and party revelers until the wee hours of the morning. Another notable nightlife area is Ammoudia, which is situated on the road that leads to the airport. This area is known for its huge open air clubs. Aside from the consistent nightlife. Skiathos is the regular venue for concerts, art exhibitions and cultural events during summer.

The island is the only one of the Northern Sporades islands that maintains an airport. And its capital and biggest settlement, Skiathos Town in the east, is also served by regular ferry and hydrofoil services that connect to neighboring islands like Alonnisos and Skopelos. Skiathos town is a new and modern resort equipped with impressive tourist facilities.

The town’s most notable landmark is its natural harbor, which has also become a yacht and sail boat docking area. Some of the attractions in town include the Church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and its museums; the Kastro (castle) and the former home of the renowned author Alexandros Papadiamantis that has been turned into a museum. The other prominent towns, villages and even resorts on Skiathos are mostly found along the island’s southern coast.

Skiathos has more than 60 beaches and inlets to choose from! A number of these spots boasts golden sands and that famous aqua marine clear water that the Greek isles are known for. The most famous among these sandy stretches is the pine forest adorned Koukounaries (Golden Sand), which is often hailed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole Mediterranean region. Koukounaries is home to a campsite and a selection of tavernas. Another beach you should consider visiting is Banana Beach, also known as Krassa Bay. Banana is popular for its bar parties and water sports facilities. Western beaches like Mandráki, and Small and Big Asélinos are more low-key, serene and barely receive visitors.

Troulos and Koukounaries are two of the most prominent resorts in the southern coast. Outdoor and beach lovers absolutely adore these two spots because of the abundance of water sports opportunities offered here. If you wish to experience the more rugged and unadulterated side of the island, venture to its northern side, where mountainous terrain rules. This is a great region to experience some serious hiking adventures.

A number of visitors use the abandoned town of Kastro as the gateway to exploring the north. Just off the coast of Skiathos are smaller islands waiting to be visited. You can easily arrange for a boat to bring you to these most gorgeous islets that are generally devoid of people. Boúrtzi is one example of these alluring islands. It is known for its lush vegetation, outstanding panoramas and the ruins of a Venetian fortress built around 1207. Boúrtzi has developed a reputation of being one of the most romantic places on Skiathos

Even though most people dream of traveling the world, what they might be failing to take into account is the preparation that is needed. Traveling can be incredibly extensive as well as international vacation so you must plan accordingly. With a travel agency or not, international travel is still something that you should be thoroughly prepared for. With this in mind, below you will find some helpful advice as to what is important in order to make sure that you aren’t forgetting anything.

Get tickets

Now, if you are planning a worldwide trip it’s likely that you are going to travel by airplane. Interestingly enough, some airlines are going to offer you package tickets which include all the cities that you are going to visit on your holiday. Even though the service is rather costly, it is definitely going to save you a lot of headache and it’s going to make the trip much more enjoyable.

List of documents

Travelling to different countries might require all sorts of documentation. Make sure to do research prior to your trip in order to determine the type of documentation that you are going to need for each country. Obviously, you are going to take your passport, but some places might require additional paper work. Include those in a list and make sure to check them all out before you leave.

Prepare your home

Trips around the world last. That’s for sure. You need to make all the necessary preparations in order to be sure that your home will be in proper condition when you get back. The best thing to do is to ask a member of your family or a close friend to move into your house temporarily during the months that you will be travelling. It is always better to have someone to take care of your home while you are away. However, if you can’t find anyone at least make sure that a friend of yours is stopping by every now and then just to make sure that everything is in order.

Pack your bags

Do not take too many clothes. Taking off with your entire closet is definitely going to be an inconvenience because, after all, you will spend your time travelling and not resting at one location. Take whatever you feel is essential because you will likely buy clothes on the trip anyways.

Make reservations

Make a schedule of your trip and make reservations accordingly. Make sure to always have a room in a hotel whenever you reach your destination. You are going to be visiting places that you’ve never been to before and it’s comforting to know that you have a place to sleep in.

As you can see, traveling around the world can mean a lot of preparation.